Event Calendar

Weekend Meditation Class, 5/4-5/6, DDRC, NY

How Should One Approach Daily Meditation Practice?

“You know you want to benefit from daily practice, but you don’t know how to go about doing it. First, you should have a proper mental attitude towards practice. Second, you should use a method.” – Excerpt from Zen Wisdom by Chan Master Sheng Yen

Although the methods of meditation are simple and straightforward, it is best to practice them under the guidance of a teacher. Without a teacher, a meditator will not be able to correct beginner’s mistakes, which if uncorrected, could lead to problems or lack of useful results.

In our weekend meditation class, you will learn the fundamentals of sitting meditation, including proper bodily posture (sitting on a cushion or a chair), relaxation, and basic methods of concentration. In addition, you’ll learn about the proper environment, equipment, and timing, as well as self-massage and important concepts related to the process of meditation. Explanations about various experiences and obstacles in meditation will also be given.

The format of the class allows you to immerse yourself in the training, over two nights and two days. Your grasp of the methods will improve with each sitting, reinforced by group practice with like-minded students. You will return home motivated and equipped to cultivate your personal daily practice.

Abbot Guo Yuan, a Dharma Heir of Master Sheng Yen

Guo Yuan Fashi, one of Chan Master Sheng Yen’s Dharma heirs, is a Buddhist monk trained in Chan Buddhism. In 1985 he first encountered Master Sheng Yen’s teachings while attending a seven-day retreat in New York. He then decided to become a disciple before finally leaving his job in Toronto, Canada, to become a monk in the Chan tradition. He was ordained in 1987 in Taiwan. For over twenty years, he accompanied and became translator to Master Sheng Yen in various Chan meditation retreats in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, and Mexico.

He studied Theravada Buddhism for a year in Thailand in 1991. Upon returning from Thailand, Guo Yuan Fashi was elected abbot of both the Chan Meditation Center (CMC) in Queens and the Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC) in Pine Bush, New York. His responsibilities included attending interfaith services, teaching meditation, and giving lectures on Buddhism. In 2006 he became the director of the International Chan Retreat Center in Dharma Drum Mountain, Taiwan. In 2016 he returned to Pine Bush to become once again the abbot of DDRC. Fluent in Mandarin, Vietnamese, and English, he leads Chan retreat in many countries around the world.

Chang Xing Fashi

In 2009, Chang Xing Fashi was ordained as a Buddhist monk. He studied in Dharma Drum Sangha University in Taiwan, where he majored in Chinese Chan Buddhism, graduating in 2015. In 2017, he moved to Dharma Drum Retreat Center to share meditation in North America.